[Superiority of motor imagery acupuncture in improving muscle tension for patients with upper limb hemiplegia of stroke in early stage].

Objective: To verify the superiority of motor imagery acupuncture in improving muscle tension for patients with upper limb hemiplegia in early stroke.

Methods: A total of 64 patients of stroke hemiplegia with upper limb flaccid paralysis were randomly divided into an observation group (32 cases, 1 case dropped off ) and a control group (32 cases, 4 cases dropped off ). The observation group was treated with motor imagery acupuncture (both acupuncture and motor imagery therapy at affected upper limb were performed).The control group was treated with acupuncture plus motor imagery therapy at affected lower limb, 2 h later after acupuncture, motor imagery therapy was applied to upper limb. Baihui (GV 20) to Taiyang (EX-HN 5) of healthy side, Fengchi (GB 20) and Jianyu (LI 15), Jianjing (GB 21), Quchi (LI 11), Waiguan (TE 5) on the affected side, ect. were selected in both groups, once a day, 5 times a week for 4 weeks. Before and after treatment, 4, 8 weeks after treatment, the modified Ashworth scale (MAS) grade and Brunnstrom stage were compared in the two groups.

Results: Compared before treatment, the muscle tension of shoulder, elbow and wrist each time point after treatment was increased in the two groups (<0.05). After treatment, the proportion less than grade Ⅱ of elbow MAS grade in the observation group was higher than the control group (<0.05); 4 and 8 weeks after treatment, the proportion less than grade Ⅱ of shoulder, elbow and wrist MAS grades in the observation group was higher than the control group (<0.01). The Brunnstrom stage of arm and hand each time point after treatment was higher than the previous time point in the two groups (<0.05), those in the observation group was higher than the control group (<0.05).

Conclusion: Motor imagery acupuncture could promote hemiplegia upper limb muscle tension recovery in patients of stroke hemiplegia with upper limb flaccid paralysis, make the patients gradually shift to the separate fine movement mode, inhibit and relieve the appearance and development of spasm.